To talk about tells ... I have in safekeeping an old large cent, dated 1838 and in sharp brand-new (other than being brown from age) condition. It was a tell, placed by the builder under the king beam of my grandparents' farmhouse floor. When they were replacing it in the early 60s after the beam cracked, it fell out and they heard it drop. My grandfather gave it to my dad saying "here's your pay".

So, they do get found. Nice you put a note alongside....

Here's to Tony, and to hoping he can spend many more years putting tells on old guns he fixes up.

What I would like to know is what got Tony into fixing up old guns - was it the interest in fixing up old things and a liking for shotguns, or was it a desire for them and a budgetary impulse?

fiery, dependable, occasionally transcendent